Big breakfast in aid of New Zealand and Japanese quake victims

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In the midst of their Rugby World Cup campaigns the All Blacks and Japan were supporting a cause of a different nature this morning.

The Friends of Christchurch/Japan Benefit Breakfast took place yesterday at SkyCity's Function Centre and local and international dignitaries were amongst the couple of hundred who attended the fundraiser.

The spotlight though was definitely on the tables at the front where All Blacks Anthony Boric, Kieran Read, Mils Muliaina and Ben Franks sat, with bosses Graham Henry and Darren Shand.

John Kirwan was also there with several players to support the event and though he was grateful to organiser Bruce Benge and his team for creating such a lavish setting, he was mindful of the plight of people back in Japan.

''We're taking the thoughts of people from home with us on to the field,'' he said.

''For them it's just about getting up and keeping going every day, and that's what we're going to do on the field.''

Ex-referee Paul Honiss was MC for the morning and employed a red and yellow card system to encourage tables to dig a little deeper to contribute to the Red Cross' appeal.

Mr Benge said he was excited and relieved the whole event had come together and through table donations and the post-breakfast auction, he had his fingers crossed for a six-figure sum to be raised.